Teacher downed half bottle of wine in Morrisons car park before returning to teach class

Carmarthenshire: So, there’s this story about a teacher who got herself into a bit of trouble. Rhian Williams, a science teacher, was at Morrisons one day to grab some flowers for a colleague. But she also picked up a bottle of white wine.

When she got back to her car, she ended up drinking half of it. After that, she drove back to school and taught a class of year eight students. Some other teachers noticed she was acting a bit off and reported it.

The assistant head teacher, Rhian Carruthers, went to check on her. She found Williams acting unusually happy and even hugging her. That’s when they stepped outside, and Williams admitted what she had done. They found the half-empty wine bottle in her car.

Carruthers, who had known Williams for years, described her as a great teacher and friend. But it seems the pandemic had really affected Williams, making her lose confidence and step down from her head of chemistry role.

She wasn’t at the hearing but expressed regret in a statement, saying she was ashamed of her actions. Williams has been teaching since 1999 and had a clean record before this incident. Now, she’s not planning to return to teaching and has been volunteering instead.

The Education Workforce Council decided her actions were unacceptable and banned her from teaching for at least two years. It’s a tough situation, but it sounds like she’s trying to get back on her feet.